The burble allowed me to stand. I approached Oscar, who pressed a suckered palm to the inside of his acrylic prison, his soulful yellow eyes staring at me.

I reached out with my right hand to press against the container, a lump forming in my throat. “Sorry, pal. I really fucked up this time. I’m gonna get you out of this, I promise.”

Leaving the cephaloped, I stood alongside the transhuman version of Andria Saxon. Wires and conduits ran down her bare spine, her breasts concealed behind a steel plate that swallowed her lower torso—assuming one even existed.

“Andie, why does the Creator wish to see me?”

IT IS NOT FOR ME TO KNOW.

I tried another tact. “Andie, do you possess memories of our time together in Virginia?”

YES.

“You appeared much different then.”

THE CREATOR HAS IMPROVED UPON MY ORIGINAL DESIGN.

“Of course he has. May I hold your hand?”

Cocking her head, she reached out with her right hand and I took it in my left. It was surprisingly warm, with a powerful pulse that beat alternately along either side of her wrist.

“Andie, do you miss being human?”

MY FUNCTION IS TO SERVE THE CREATOR.

“Which you do very well. But do you miss being human? Do you ever miss me?”

WHEN I DREAM OF BEING HUMAN, YOU ARE THERE.

“What if I could help you to become human?”

She released my hand. I SHARE PART OF ANDRIA SAXON’S DNA, I SHARE HER MEMORIES, BUT I AM NOT HER. I AM A HUNTER-TRANSPORT.

“I think you are more. Release my friend; allow your human compassion to have a greater voice in your consciousness.”

I AM NOT PROGRAMMED FOR HUMAN COMPASSION.

“Of course you are. You share Andria Saxon’s DNA.”

THE CREATOR SAYS YOU ARE MANIPULATING ME.

Without warning, I collapsed to my knees, my body subjected to near-unbearable gravitational forces. Andie … don’t. I collapsed onto my stomach. ABE, get her to respond.

SHE IS IN COMMUNICATION WITH ANOTHER ENTITY.

Can you eavesdrop?

THE COMMUNICATION IS NOT THOUGHT-ENERGY BASED. THE ENTITY IS COMMUNICATING THROUGH A BIOLOGICAL LINK.

I managed to turn my head so that I could see the eastern horizon. As the predawn gray chased away the night, I could make out a dark shadow towering over the jungle. It was a mountain plateau—a geological blemish that seemed out of place in the densely forested terrain, and we were heading right for it.

The transport shook violently as we passed over a rocky periphery enclosing a vast valley.

WARNING: FLUCTUATING … MAGNETIC FIELD … INTERFERENCE CAUSED BY A GEOLOGICAL ANOMALY.

What kind of geological anomaly?

TERRESTRIAL IMPACT CRATER … CREATED BY A LARGE MOON METEOR. CRATER DIAMETER: 22.7 MILES. COMPOSED OF A FRESHWATER GLACIER LAKE AND TWO ISLAND MASSES. APPROACHING LARGER MASS.